Dog-Eat-Dog
by unodosBRYAN
Summary: In a grisly near-future, the United States has converted into a totalitarian state known as the United North American Empire. In a brutal attempt to keep the revolting youth at bay, the UNAE has adapted a battle experiment from the Republic of Greater East Asia.
1. Pre-Game: Part I

MADISON HIGH SCHOOL  
CLASS OF 2029 SENIOR TRIP: BUS 3

MALES  
01. Auttenburg, Dean  
02. Baker, Carl  
03. Baxter, Jayson  
04. Benson, Logan  
05. Beverly, Kyle  
06. Castillo, Gabriel  
07. Christensen, Nicholas  
_08. Cooper, Riley  
_09. Dougherty, Keith  
10. Eaton, Theodore  
_11. Gruenwald, Luke_  
12. Kistler, Hayden  
13. Nicosia, Evan  
14. Oberto, Blake  
15. Phan, Preston  
16. Rothenburg, Eric  
17. Santos, Jose  
18. Sepulveda, Brendan  
19. Xanthopoulos, Wade  
20. Xanthopoulos, Wesley  
21. Yates, Scott

FEMALES  
01. Andrews, Chloe  
02. Belmonte, Taylor  
03. Bordeaux, Evelyn  
04. Carver, Diana  
05. Dixon, Sophie  
06. Emmet, Leah  
07. Fernandez, Arianna  
08. Fisher, Madison  
09. Hudson, Abigail  
10. Kemp, Olivia  
11. Konstantinov, Mikayla  
13. Macy, Lillian  
14. Mhasalkar, Rabia  
15. Moralez, Veronica  
16. Nieri, Isabella  
17. Patriksson, Grace  
18. Ramos, Zoe  
19. Vargas, Ashley  
20. Wechsler, Natalie  
21. Zavala, Victoria

_"If this is the best of all possible worlds, then what must the others be like?"_

_ Voltaire, Candide, Chapter 6_

Prologue: Pre-Game

_Friday, May 25__th__, 2029  
6:30pm – Madisonville High School, City of Madisonville, California_

"I forgot my extra cellphone battery," Riley Cooper (Male Student No. 8, Madisonville High School) muttered as he dug through the bag he had packed for the weekend. "If it isn't in here then it has to be in my locker."  
"Of course you forgot something," Chloe Andrews (Female Student No. 1) sighed. "It wouldn't be a trip unless you forgot something at home, or in your locker, or in your car…this is why I asked if you remembered everything. Seriously, where would you be without me?" Riley frowned in response, but Chloe immediately fixed this with a small kiss on his lips.  
"Even the most brilliant of men can be absent minded," Riley suggested defensively.  
"I know, I know…" Chloe groaned, "Just go to your locker and get the battery before the busses get here. I'll hold our spot in line."

Riley nodded and took off towards the school. There was plenty of time for him to get his battery. Their chaperone for the weekend, Mr. McCarthy, wasn't even there to take roll yet. It seemed petty to bring up, though. He opened the door to the main school building. Since he was a senior, his locker was immediately in the main hallway. His school looked much different when it was completely empty like this. The linoleum floors had just been polished, the smell of pine-scented cleaner overtook the room. The hallway seemed much more spacious than normal. Again this was because Riley was alo—

Oh. He wasn't alone.

Carl Baker (Male Student No. 2) was sitting on the floor against his locker. He was a pretty short guy, no taller than 167 centimeters. He wasn't much for weight, as his arms and legs comically resembled those of a stick figure. Most of his body was covered in freckles, complimented by frizzy bright red hair that was never kept tidy. He was the classic stereotype of a geek – thick framed glasses and all.

Above Carl stood a few of the boys from the water polo team. Riley recognized two of them. The first was Jayson Baxter (Male Student No. 3), who was incredibly tall and very dense - both physically and mentally. The other boy was Theodore Eaton (Male Student No. 10), who was just as physically impressive as Jayson, but a bit on the brighter side. These two, and a couple of other members Riley didn't know, were circled around Carl. Each of the boys was taking turns kicking Carl in the torso.

"Fucking spaz!" One of them shouted.  
Jayson tossed a handheld video game to the floor, shattering the screen. "I'm not gonna listen to that fucking beeping all weekend!"  
"I mean – it's bad enough we have to put up with that smell. Didn't your mother teach you to shower?" Theodore taunted, grabbing Carl's pack and emptying it to the ground.

Riley shifted uncomfortably. Did they really have to be so cruel to him? They were only a couple of weeks away from graduating. Couldn't this whole bullying thing be put to rest? It seemed a little stupid to him. Nonetheless, Riley did his best to pretend not to notice and quickly entered the combination into his lock. He opened the door and smiled to himself. The cell phone battery was right there, where he knew he had left it.

"Stop it, stop…please!"

Riley could hear Carl beg the bigger boys to stop. He shook his head and dismissed the incident from his mind. _Hey, don't judge me, man. It's none of my business. _Not looking back, he proceeded to meet his girlfriend by where they were scheduled to be picked up.

The weather outside was perfect. One of the perks to living in California was that warm nights came early. The sun was resting gently above the mountains to the west, highlighting the blue sky with various shades of pink and orange. Madisonville High School was looking just as perfect; freshly mowed grass, trimmed hedges. Just in time for graduation. The seniors who were attending the graduation trip were gathering one by one in the parking lot, saying goodbye to their loved ones who dropped them off.

"People are stupid," Riley murmured under his breath as he approached Chloe. He waved his cell phone battery in the air, "Found it."  
"Why does that make you stupid?" Chloe asked, giving him a puzzled expression.  
"Oh, not me. The water polo guys were hassling Carl again." Riley explained.  
"Let me guess. You didn't do anything about it, right?" Chloe put her hands on her hips. "You could be a little more assertive."  
"Hey, why do you assume I just did nothing!?" Riley exclaimed defensively.  
"Well, did you do anything?"  
"…No."  
Chloe sighed, "I didn't think so. Riley, high school is about to be over. Now that we're adults, you can't sit back and do nothing. Not with things the way they are now. You have beliefs, you need to express them. You need to make your voice heard. You're a brilliant guy with good ideas and not a word to say-"  
"You're being dramatic," Riley interrupted. "Things aren't that bad. They're just different. Regardless, it's not like Carl is my friend or anything like that. It wasn't my place to do anything."  
Chloe shook her head, "Riley, not doing anything about it is almost as bad as being the bully."  
"Chloe, those guys could beat my ass."  
"They wouldn't have treated you the way they do Carl. They wouldn't get the same emotional response they seek."  
"These are guys we're talking about. They're not in it for the emotions; they just act like that because they can." Riley saw Carl stumble out of the school. His nose seemed to be a little bloody. Riley felt awkward again.

Chloe at this point decided to discontinue the conversation. Riley knew that meant she had more to say, but was going to save it for later. This would most likely be at a time where he couldn't escape, like the bus ride or the hotel room. Riley figured it was best to not say much of anything for a few minutes. Sometimes his favorite moments with Chloe were the ones where they didn't talk; of course he would never tell her that. He loved her very much, but she was very vocal about her opinions, unlike him. Perhaps that's what attracted him to her in the first place.

She was very pretty, about 160cm tall with auburn hair that was neatly tied in a braid that hung below her shoulders. Her almond-shaped eyes were a deep green, and her well-defined facial structure was lightly complimented with freckles. Her teeth were perfectly aligned (thanks to several years of orthodontic work), but a very frequent coffee habit caused some stains. Even though she almost perfect aesthetically, she was considered a "weird girl" for being so opinionated. Riley assumed this is why he was able to date someone as gorgeous as her.

In his own eyes, Riley was extremely average. He had short brown hair (cut the same way since he was a kid) and very plain brown eyes. Plain facial features, although he did have a very nice smile. He was kind of tall and a bit lanky looking. His shirts were almost always a little big for him. He did well in school, but got rejected from many colleges for lack of outside interests. What was there to be interested in, really? If you wanted to do music, it had to be government approved music. If you wanted to do art, it had to be a government approved theme. If you wanted to do extra-curricular sciences, it had to be…well, you get the point.

Democracy was a thing of the past. The United North American Empire (UNAE) replaced what used to be just the United States. The Bill of Rights and Constitution had been replaced by a single phrase: "A cooperative citizen is a happy citizen." Pretty much indicating the now totalitarian government could do whatever it wanted, whenever it pleased. Everyone was always urged to continue daily life as normal. Most people were too afraid to retaliate, and those who weren't were usually never heard from again. Many rumors were circulating that activists were sent to Central Africa (now owned by UNAE) to mine for diamonds. Extremists were rumored to be tortured or executed. These were just rumors, though.

"Continue daily life as normal." Go to school, go to college, get a job, buy a house, pay bills, get married, have kids, raise them and then you can die. That wasn't exactly Riley's definition of normal. His parents were never married, nor did either of them ever own a house. His dad only had money because of a legal settlement some twenty years ago, and his mom was an on and off drug user. He had no siblings, no cousins, no living grandparents…just him and his two dysfunctional parents. So how does one go about "being normal" when they were never normal to begin with?

Their head chaperone for the weekend, Mr. McCarthy, was finally taking roll call. He was a short, petite man. His gray hair was cut very short, and he had rectangle-framed glasses covering his blue eyes. He wasn't a favorite of the students, having been popular for giving very heavy homework loads. He did his best to make his voice carry over the chit-chat of the students.

"Finally," Riley said with relief. "This means we'll be leaving soon. Have you seen Wade or Wesley?"  
"No, but there's Rabia." Chloe replied, waving at Rabia to come their way. "I think she's on our bus."  
Rabia Mhasalkar (Female Student No. 14) was Chloe's best friend. Rabia was easily one of the smartest girls in the school, and was the class' Valedictorian. She was short and a bit pudgy, but pretty nonetheless. Her dark skin and light accent gave her an exotic appeal. Like Chloe, she was very opinionated and considered "weird" for being such.

"Hey, guys!" Rabia chimed at them. "Chloe, Chloe just look at these new shoes I got for this weekend!" She pulled what appeared to be a very expensive pair of heels from her luggage.  
"Oh my God!" Chloe exclaimed. "Those are _beautiful!_ Where did you get them?!"  
"Awesome," Riley murmured dryly. "Now I'm in the middle of girl time."  
"Hey!" Chloe hit Riley's arm playfully. "I can be girly from time to time. Be thankful I'm not the kind of girlfriend that makes you come shopping with me."  
Riley smiled, "I'm grateful. Damn, what is taking those two so long?"  
"You know how it is." Rabia remarked. "Their mom never drops them off anywhere on time. They're just as bad, never once have I known them to be on time."  
"That's them!" Riley said, pointing out two young men approaching them.  
"Riley's excited to see his boyfriends." Chloe joked. She and Rabia giggled at Riley, who by this time was paying more attention to Wade and Wesley.  
"Don't be jealous because I love them more than you." Riley stated matter-of-factly.

Wade and Wesley Xanthapoulos (Male Students No. 19 & 20) had been Riley's best friends since they were all toddlers. Almost all of Riley's earliest memories included them. This was in part because their mother, Aurora, had been the closest thing Riley had to a real parent. She was an old friend of Riley's mother who went a more responsible direction with her life after she had the twins. Even though their father was never around, she still managed to make ends meet and raise two bright young men – even if she couldn't make it anywhere on time.

Wade and Wesley were unmistakably twins. They both shared the same olive-colored skin and well-toned lean muscle. They both had big, dark brown eyes covered with thick eyelashes. Their hair was jet black; the only difference was that Wade grew his slightly past his ears, while Wesley kept his very short. Wesley had a very abrupt, almost cheesy sense of humor, saying whatever happened to be on his mind at any given moment. Wade was a little more reserved, almost on the shy side if you didn't approach him first. They were both very intelligent, and received their highest marks in science classes.

"Life could not be any better," Wesley cheered. "Two nights in paradise…and a little something to make us feel all the better." He revealed a bottle of liquor in his bag.  
Riley's eyes widened. "Yes! Dude, you are always on top of things."  
"Yeah, that's what all the girls say, at least." Wesley quipped, nudging Riley in the arm. "Ha-ha, but really…it's homemade stuff, quite potent."  
Riley raised an eyebrow, "Is it safe to drink?" Wade and Wesley were always messing around with clandestine chemistry techniques, but this was the first time they had ever made something they actually planned to consume.  
Wade nodded, "Oh he made sure before we left. You can't tell?"  
Upon closer examination, Wesley was slightly pink in the face. He gave a contented smile. "Yeah, it's definitely safe. Don't let Wade make it sound good, I only had a little. It could very well be poisonous. I could drink it all, just to make sure." He winked.  
Rabia shook her head, "You don't want to do that. I think I may as well partake…" The other four gawked at Rabia in shock.  
"Rabia," Chloe stammered. "You don't drink."  
Rabia grinned, "I think I have reason to celebrate. Mum's the word, though. Here comes Mr. McCarthy."

As seven o'clock approached, the large white busses pulled into the parking lot. Riley took a seat with Chloe towards the back. The twins sat in front of them, and Rabia was sitting across the aisle with Taylor Belmonte (Female Student No. 2) occupying the window seat. These busses weren't like the normal school busses. They had very comfortable cushioned sets, large windows that extended all the way to the ceiling. Every few rows there were television sets hanging from the roof, there was even a bathroom in the back. The forty-two seats filled up very quickly, and the bus was filled with the sound of the classmates chatting with each other.

"How lucky is it that we all get to sit on the same bus?" Chloe said, getting her camera ready for a group photo. "Not to mention the one that's least crowded, I feel bad for the people on the other busses."  
"Like I said," Wesley reminded her. "Everything is perfect. Hey, Taylor." He waved at her, attempting his most seductive smile.  
Taylor took her eyes away from the window and smiled at Wesley. "'Ello," she said in her very thick French accent. She was going to continue, but the bus driver reminded Wesley to take his seat over the loudspeaker. Taylor returned her gaze to the window. Until the driver had said something, Riley hadn't even noticed the bus was in motion. Chloe and Rabia were already in deep conversation about plans for after high school. Riley wasn't too interested in that right now. His eye happened to catch Taylor.

It wasn't hard to see why Wesley was interested in her. She was insanely gorgeous, with a perfectly cherubic face and thick platinum blond hair that fell below her shoulders. Her big, round eyes were so blue they almost looked violet. She and her parents had just moved here from France only a few months ago, no one really knew why. She played the oboe and appeared to be very smart, even though her English was a little broken. She seemed to be fixated on something. Riley leaned his head against the window. He kind of wanted to take a nap, but wasn't tired enough. He sighed and closed his eyes anyways. _Maybe when I wake up, I'll be able to figure out what I'm going to do with my life…_

A few rows behind Riley, Luke Gruenwald (Male Student No. 11) was curled in his seat, rocking his head to the music coming from his headphones.  
"_How much do I know, to talk out of turn? You might say I'm young, you might say I'm unlearned. But there's one thing I know, though I'm younger than you: that even Jesus would never forgive what you do…_" The music suddenly cut out. Luke frowned and took off his headphones.  
"Dead battery…weaaaak," he grimaced. "Well, it looks like I have to talk to you until we get to the hotel."  
"Gee, thanks." Kyle Beverley (Male Student No. 5) muttered, looking down at a handheld video game he was busy with.  
"You're not even into video games," Luke noted, snatching the game from Kyle's hands. "What's the deal, man? Oh hey, not to sound like a geek, but you missed the power-up at the beginning of the level."  
"Well," Kyle grabbed the game back from Luke. "Now that finals are over, I'm in that nice grace period before college where I have time to try other things in lieu of constant studying. Not to sound condescending, but with grades like yours, no one is going to be calling you a geek anytime soon."  
"I can't believe you're going to college, man. You're such a tool sometimes…" Luke groaned.  
"The Movement needs people like me," Kyle defended, but he began to whisper. "Knowledge is power, my friend. It can accomplish way more than brute strength."  
"I think that depends on the enemy," Luke said. "And I would hardly call the filtered information we get through the public education system "knowledge", Kyle. It's like that tip of the iceberg metaphor."  
"Blending in is also key, Luke. If I come across as normal, then I'm being discrete. People like you draw attention to themselves. If you keep running around with those extremists, you're going to get thrown in jail – or worse – before you can make any real difference in the world."  
"Those are just rumors, Kyle. I'm not running around with anybody…"  
"Luke, I know you. You're my best friend, so you can't really hide anything from me. You disappear from school for days at a time without a word. Sometimes I read articles about things, and they usually occur in your periods of absence. You are a clever and resourceful young man, who does absolutely nothing to live up to his potential."

Luke and Kyle were involved in underground political movements against the new form of government. These movements were collectively known as the "The Movement for the Freedom of People's Rights", or simply "The Movement". The Movement was in its earliest stages, mainly because people had different ideas as to what should be done to stop the government. Some of the activists believed that the only way to stop the government was through direct warfare. These activists were referred to as "extremists". Lately, several rumors had been going around on campus that Luke had been involved in an attempted bombing of the city courthouse.

"I'm doing what I have to do," Luke said with confidence. "Some people just think that action needs to be taken immediately. If we wait, things are just going to get worse. Remember Cory? He said his cousin's class out in Oregon just disappeared one day."  
Kyle shook his head and dropped his voice to an even quieter whisper, "Look, I know things are bad…but that's just a wild story. Whole classes of innocent students don't just disappear. That wouldn't be very inconspicuous on their part, would it? Speaking of which, people who are taking extreme action now are the kind of people who are going to get all of us noticed. For now the government just sees these as arbitrary, isolated incidents. If they realize we're actually beginning to organize, they'll—"

"SENIORS! SENIORS! SENIORS!"

A very loud series of chants came from the back of the bus. Kyle rolled his eyes. He didn't have to guess where the sound was coming from.  
"You have got to be kidding me…" Kyle groaned.  
"Think of them as zoo animals. You'll be able to laugh at them more," Luke stood up to observe the ruckus. The bus driver's requests were drowned out by the cheering. She had eventually given up and turned up the radio slightly. At the very back of the bus, several of the water polo players were tossing a ball back and forth.  
"Who's back there?" Kyle asked, minding his video game instead of the athletes.  
"Let's see…Jayson, Theodore, and Keith. I think I see Brendan sitting with his girlfriend. Evan Nicosia's back there, too."  
"There are only five of them, but Jayson and Theodore are the worst. Evan's not so bad. I've never seen him harass anyone. Brendan never seemed too wrapped up in acting like that, either." Kyle leaned into the aisle to peer at the back of the bus.  
"And Keith is just their bitch," Luke chuckled. "Hey guys, pass it here!" He called back to them.

Keith Dougherty (Male Student No. 9) gave Luke a puzzled look. Before he could comprehend the sarcasm, Jayson Baxter (Male Student No. 3) grabbed the ball from his hands.  
"Fuck off, Luke!" He threw the ball towards Luke as hard as he possibly could, who sank into his seat quick enough to escape it.  
"Hey—" one of the girls happened to be the unlucky target. Grace Patriksson (Female Student No. 17) emerged from her seat. "Will you guys cut it out!?"  
Jayson and Theodore were only able to respond with uproarious laughter.

Kyle shook his head, "Aren't there signs in the zoos about not provoking the animals?" Luke smeared an innocent grin on his face and shrugged.  
"Hey, what do you mean 'Evan's not so bad'? He's strange." Luke said, rummaging through his backpack for something to keep him occupied until they made it to their destination.  
"Luke, you're weird. Evan's really bright, just quiet—"  
"Dude, he's like their ring leader! They worship him in some awkward, slightly homoerotic kind of way."  
"What? You don't make any sense sometimes, Luke. You're talking about them like they're some kind of gang."  
"Uh, they kind of are!" Luke muttered with frustration, finally finding a book to read. The cover was bright yellow and had "_ACID DREAMS_" written on it in baby blue text. He came across the book in the black market, it was an incredibly lucky find. "Okay, maybe they're not a gang, but they're like a pack of dogs…really stupid dogs. They're incredibly territorial, and Evan is the all-knowing alpha male. Think about it, if they don't think you're good enough to be in the same space as them, they make it a point to let you know."  
"Yeah, I guess you're kind of right. What's with that book? Are you really going to try that stuff?" Kyle inquired with concern.  
"Maybe," Luke shrugged. "Let me read. Sorry, I'm getting restless just sitting here talking to you."  
Kyle frowned, "…gee, thanks dude."

The busses found their way out of the rural area of Madisonville, and were now on the freeway heading into the dense cities towards the coast. The setting sun had been replaced with a full moon, its silver light dimly illuminating the night sky. The stars were slowly being replaced by light pollution as they entered the metropolitan area. Traffic on the highway was somewhat busy, so it would probably be a least another hour and half before the busses reached the pier.

"Riley," Chloe nudged him. She was trying to hand him a black bag with the bottle of liquor inside. "Wesley wants to know if you want some. I told him I was going to wait until we got there."  
Riley looked down at the bag and pondered. Perhaps it would help him fall asleep.  
"Yeah, I guess I'll have a little drink." He opened the bag and discreetly took a swig. He drank a little more than he intended to. The liquor burned the inside of his mouth, but he was able to force it down. His entire body immediately felt warm. He shuddered and gave the bag back to Chloe.  
"I don't need any more of that until tomorrow. That was intense." Riley searched his bag for a flavored drink of some kind to get rid of the flavor in his mouth. Every time he drank he remembered he liked the idea of alcohol more than actually drinking the alcohol. He found a soda in his bag and took a massive drink. It helped a little, but his insides still felt like they were on fire.

"You're wrong, you know." Chloe said, folding her arms.  
Riley frowned, "Says the one who didn't drink any. I'm telling you, it's strong-"  
"Not about that," she clarified. "You're wrong about the water polo guys. It really is about emotions. Not just to them, but to any kind of bully."  
Of course that's what she meant. "Oh really?" Riley chuckled. "Those guys don't seem to be very in touch with their emotions."  
"They don't realize it," she looked back to make sure they were all out of ear shot. "They're not that smart. Well, maybe Evan, but he's different. Anyway, they get a high out of it or something. They like seeing Carl whimper and cry. It makes them feel even more dominant, because they get a _big_ response from Carl, and they love it. With you, it's different. Yeah, they could easily beat you up – no offense, you said it yourself – but you would at least be quick enough to run or smart enough to confuse them. You wouldn't cry or give them what they want…so they would get bored and leave you alone."  
"Do you really pay that much attention to them?" Riley asked, unimpressed with his girlfriend's analysis of the water polo team. "I think you're reading a little too much into it."  
"It's not that I try to pay attention, I just happen to notice. I mean, the popular girls are mean to me…but that's for a whole different reason. Women just hate each other on a completely different level, but that's because we understand one another."  
Riley chuckled again; he could feel the alcohol hitting him. He seemed to have underestimated the potency, as his mind was beginning to feel very fuzzy. He wasn't sure if she was joking about women hating each other. "Well, either way, I guess it isn't going to matter anymore. In a week probably won't see most of these people ever again. We're all going to move on, and grow up…whatever that means."

The heaviness in Riley's rapidly began to feel overwhelming. Hadn't he only had one shot? For some reason, he couldn't really remember.  
"Chloe, this stuff is nuts…" He groaned. "Hey, Chloe…?" His girlfriend had suddenly drifted off into a deep sleep.  
Riley chuckled lazily, "So much for not drinking any…hey, are you…are you okay?" Riley nudged her, but she didn't respond.  
"Hey, Rabia, how much has Chloe been drinking?" Riley peered across the aisle. Rabia and Taylor were sound asleep, as well. It immediately dawned on Riley that the bus had become incredibly quiet.

_What…? What's going…going on…here?_

The world around him quickly began to fade into a blanket of darkness. His body and mind completely numb, he stumbled into a serene slumber. The students on this bus were too preoccupied earlier to notice that their bus had gone off route nearly thirty minutes ago. As the last of them fell victim to the sleeping gas released into the bus, the bus proceeded east and headed towards the mountains.


	2. Pre-Game Part II

Riley's sleep was completely dreamless, so he felt as if he were waking up immediately. He kept his eyes closed, not ready for today.

_Man, I have to get up…get ready for this weekend. What time is it? It's still dark…did I oversleep and miss the bus? Or is it just really early? … …Wait a minute._

When he opened his eyes, he noticed (to his great discomfort) that he was indeed still submerged in darkness. He was sitting in a chair, his torso resting on a desk. He sat up to take in what surroundings he could. He wasn't alone; it looked like he was with at least forty other people. Perhaps they were his classmates. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, he recognized several sleeping faces. These were indeed his fellow students…actually; these were all of the students who were riding Riley's bus. That's right, the bus. What the hell had happened?

Riley's thoughts were cut short by a sudden dizziness, followed by a small fire in his stomach. He immediately leaned to his left and freed a small puddle of vomit from his gut. He groaned and held his stomach with his hands. At first, he assumed the alcohol had done this to him. He looked at his watch. 11:00pm, it had been a little more than three hours since he drank the liquor, and even then it was only a swig. However, a much more ominous vibe ran through Riley's body.

The slowly building whispers alerted him that his classmates were beginning to wake up. He kept his gaze towards the ground, still feeling ill. He couldn't make out what everyone was talking about, but he wasn't really trying to listen, either. He wanted to feel curious, even worried; but his head wouldn't stop spinning. The dark room suddenly flooded with light. Riley immediately closed his eyes, the light being far too bright for him. He kept his eyes tightly shut and returned to the resting position on his desk.

He couldn't help but wonder if he was dreaming all of this.  
"Hello, hello…" An unfamiliar female voice graced his ears. She had a pretty voice, though she was speaking as if she wasn't quite paying attention to them yet. In the dead silence he could hear this woman sorting through papers, then straightening them by hitting them on a desk.  
"Sorry about the sleeping gas. It was probably a bit of a shock to those of you who didn't succumb to it as quickly as others, wasn't it? Not to worry, though. It is a very clean chemical; there shouldn't be any lingering side effects, except maybe a slight wave of euphoria."  
This woman was speaking very quickly, yet Riley could grasp onto every word she was saying.  
"You there, are you sleeping? Excuse me? Mister…Cooper, is it? SIR?"

_Oh, is she talking…to me? Shit, I've never fallen asleep in class._

Riley opened his eyes and sat up. His vision took a few seconds to focus, but he felt a little less dizzy than he did a minute ago. That's right, he wasn't in class. In front of the classroom, there was a rather tall woman standing behind an office desk. She was very pretty and had to wear little make up. Her blond hair was wrapped neatly in a bun, and she was wearing a navy-blue government uniform. The UNAE emblem was embroidered on the blazer. Riley immediately recognized this as the woman who was talking to him.

"No, I'm awake. I just don't feel well…" Riley managed to mumble. He was tempted to ask if he could go see the nurse. He had a feeling there wasn't a nurse here, though.  
"Oh," the woman said in a sharp tone, as if Riley had just contradicted her. "Well, do try to keep up, will you? We have lots to discuss. I do suggest all of you pay very close attention, as the details are a matter of life and death." She smiled at them. The class sat silent and confused, not doing anything but exchanging puzzled looks with one another.  
"I suppose introductions are in order. My name is Kyra Vanderholst, Miss Vanderholst will do. I'll be watching over you for the next several days from the room upstairs." Kyra sorted through her papers once more, and glanced down at one for several seconds.

"Okay, I have half an hour to get through this. So let's cut to the chase, you seem like a pretty quiet bunch. Normally everyone's much more talkative. You're off to a great start," she continued with growing enthusiasm. "I'm sure you've guessed that you're in a classroom by now. So, yes, we are in a school."

Riley didn't like the way the she was addressing them. She sounded as if she were talking to a class of dim-witted first-graders. The frustration he felt caused his temples to throb uncomfortably.

"We're up in the mountains," Kyra continued. "This school is located near the southeast edge of the map. You're bound in by electrical fence, so escape is impossible."

…Escape? Riley shook his head. _What the hell is going on here…? _

"Not that the fences are all that necessary, anyway. If you will note the collars around your necks–yes, those–we will use those to keep track of your movements. It also monitors your pulse, so it will let us know if you are alive or dead. The playable area is divided into zones. Over time, certain zones will be marked as "Forbidden Areas". If you wander into these areas, your collar is armed with a bomb that will detonate immediately, no warning. The maps provided to you are digital. You'll know exactly where you are, so that shouldn't be a big problem."

A searing anticipation grew in the classroom like an over-inflated balloon. A balloon Riley was sure would pop at any moment. To him, whatever was going on here felt too eerie to be a joke. What was this about exploding collars and forbidden areas? Were they playing some kind of game? If it was, the rules seemed twisted. Several of the students leaned forward in their seats, some held their breath, and a few were even sweating.

At that moment, several members of the armed forces entered the classroom. A couple of them were pushing a cart that was covered in camouflage-patterned backpacks. They stood at the front of the classroom next to Kyra, who pointed at the bags.  
"There's one of these for each of you. As soon as you get out of here, I would take a look at what's inside. Each pack contains your map, a flashlight, bread, water, and a weapon. This weapon can be anything from a pocket knife to a submachine gun; even I don't know what's in this year's mix. You're going to partake in a little experiment." Kyra took a deep breath.  
"You will kill each other," she stated in a nonchalant fashion. "Until one of you remains as the lone victor. When it comes to killing one another, there are no rules on how to get it done, just make it happen."

Riley was right, the balloon of anticipation had popped, and the mood in the classroom changed instantaneously. One of the girls began crying very loudly, and several of the students were already exchanging suspicious glances. Riley shook his head. This couldn't be right…yeah, this was definitely a mistake. Or maybe it _was_ a prank…right? The burning feeling returned to his stomach. He really wished he could go back to sleep.

Kyra ignored the response of the class and continued speaking at a quick pace. "Friends are good tools for survival for the first day or two, but as the number of competitors depletes they quickly become a deadly inconvenience…so do choose your adversaries wisely. At the hours of 6:00 and 12:00 there will be an update, please pay attention to these closely. I will list of the names of the fallen, and I will announce the new "Forbidden Areas" that will be added during that time frame." She picked up a marker and began drawing a grid on the white board.

No one was saying anything. All of the students were extremely tense, it seemed at this point almost everyone was sweating. The subtle, but pungent, aroma was enough to make Riley want to vomit again. Nobody was sure how to respond, the gravity of their situation hadn't quite hit them yet. Luke Gruenwald, who was sitting directly to the left of Riley, stood up from his seat. A look of confidence was painted onto his face.  
"What if we don't buy into it?" He asked. "What if we decide not to do this? We're not your fucking lab rats."  
"This is a prank, hippie boy." Jayson Baxter scoffed. He was sitting in the front row, two seats ahead of Luke. "Ain't nobody killin' nobody. No way, no how."  
This immediately set off a chain reaction, the entire classroom flooded with voices.  
"Why do you think they're doing this?"  
"In any second, someone's bound to jump out and yell surprise, right?"  
"Have you seen my bag?"  
"No, mine's gone, too."

Riley buried his face in his hands. He now felt too ill to really care about what was going on. In his mind, this probably was some kind of prank. It was a bit elaborate for his liking, and not even very good. The idea of high school students killing each other was absolutely ludicrous. Riley sighed in exhaustion. He knew any second now they'd be taken to the hotel, and –

BLAM!

A loud, dry crack tore through Riley's eardrums. The classroom once again fell silent. Miss Vanderholst pointed a silver, bulky handgun (it looked like a Colt .45 Government Special) towards the ceiling.  
"There will be no interruptions…" She stated coolly. "I can see that you're not taking me seriously. Let me assure you, that this is no prank."

As the conductor lowered her pistol, the orchestra came to a very tense grand pause. Riley now understood how silence could be deafening.

"Okay, let's move on. Over time, if you fight well or show excellent resourcefulness, you'll be eligible for what we like to call a "Care Package". These Care Packages contain very special gifts. They usually appear around mid-game, so when half of you are dead. If you've received a Care Package, a message will appear on your GPS instructing where it can be picked up. Please be sure to respond as quickly as possible, because if it hasn't been picked up by the next update, it will be announced as "up for grabs" and the location of the package will be made public."

Riley rubbed his temples, still in slight disbelief as to what was happening. He tried to push the sick feeling to the back of his mind and quickly surveyed the classroom. The windows seemed to be covered by some sort of sheet metal. There was no way to view the outside hell which awaited him and the rest of his peers. This made Riley extremely anxious, causing him to rock back and forth gently in his seat. He caught a glance at where the Xanthapolous twins were sitting. Wesley appeared to be pale and sickly like Riley was, Wade seemed much more focused on the situation at hand. On the other side of the room in the first row, Chloe was sitting with her arms folded and her head down. Riley couldn't tell if she was crying or not.

"I know this is a lot to take in at once, but I've basically explained everything to you. We have a few minutes before I have to release you guys, so are there any questions at all?" Kyra asked the class, glancing at each of them to make sure everyone was paying attention. Kyle Beverly (Male Student No. 5) raised his hand immediately.  
"Yes, Mr. Beverly."  
"Why are you doing this?" He asked very quietly.  
Kyra nodded, "The youth in this country is going to hell. To put it simply, you can't be trusted. Terrorist threats are at a record high, and your demographic is the main culprit. So, the government got together and adapted this idea from the Republic of Greater East Asia. They're keeping it private for now, but it is eventually going to be used as a method of intimidation. Remember kids, a cooperative citizen is a happy citizen. In this case, I recommend you do as you're told."

Only stares were offered in response. The reality of the situation was finally sinking into everybody. With the exception of one, they were all going to die. Not only were they going to die, they were going to kill each other. Riley still couldn't focus. His mind felt incredibly foggy, and his body felt as if though bricks were weighing it down. Would he even survive the first night? Or, were his fellow classmates not going to give in to this? He inspected the room again. Four members of the water polo team were present. Riley remembered the incident with Carl Baker (Male Student No. 2) before the bus ride. Bullying was one thing, but would the jocks really go as far as to murder their classmates? Riley's suspicions were drowned out by Miss Vanderholst's voice.

"I know you might think I'm asking you to do something horrible, but there is a deep message here. That is, if you can process it right now. Each of you is about to find out what kind of person you really are, even if it's only for a little while. People live their whole lives pretending to be something they're not. Now you have the opportunity to express yourselves in the darkest, but most honest way possible. Are you a coward? Are you a hero? Are you a psychopath, a sadist, a masochist? Or are you just trying to fight to stay alive? Over the next few days, you will discover the answer. That, young ones, is one of the best gifts you can receive.  
Now, it's about that time. You will each be dismissed alphabetically, alternating between females and males. There will be two minutes in between each of your departures. I strongly advise that you use this time to put together whatever strategy you can."

They were being released alphabetically. Riley felt his heart sink into his stomach. Chloe will be the first one to leave. On the plus side, she would have ample time to put a good amount of distance between her and everyone else. This meant Riley might not be able to see her, though. _Will I get to say good-bye? Are both of us going to die out there…?_ Riley shook his head as a small sense of clarity rang through his mind. He couldn't let that happen. He sighed, his body was shaking. He felt hungry and nauseous all at once.

Kyra clasped her hands together and smiled. "Okay, children, let's do it to it, shall we?" Her tone became quite a bit more cheerful, possibly from relief of finishing her speech with a minute to spare. She looked down at her clipboard. "Miss Chloe Andrews, to the front of the classroom, please."

Chloe stood up slowly. Riley could only see her back, but she appeared to be shaking. She gave Riley a quick glance and a nodded once. Riley held his breath. To him the nod signaled, "_You know I'm strong, and you know I'll be fine." _It could have meant something entirely different, but Riley decided to go with his gut. Chloe picked a backpack from the very center of the cart. She threw it over her shoulders and proceeded towards the exit. One of the Force members opened the door for Chloe, then shut it behind her as she went through it.

It then sounded like Chloe was walking down a hallway. As the sound of her footsteps grew faint, Riley could feel his girlfriend slipping away from him. He did his best to take deep, slow breaths. He was certain he was going to cry.

Part I: The Game Begins  
_12:00am – Saturday, May 26__th _  
_loading ... loading ... loading ..._  
BATTLE EXPERIMENT SEQUENCE INITIATED  
42 STUDENTS REMAINING

Time was moving entirely too quickly. One by one, Riley's classmates disappeared to an unknown fate. One thing Riley knew for certain, all the students had gone down the hallway in the same direction. Riley wondered where they were at. They were most likely in California still, but where exactly? For a moment, Riley wondered if they were even on the same planet. A ridiculous urge to chuckle came over him at the thought. This was quickly dismissed by Kyra's voice.

"Male student number eight, Riley Cooper."  
_Well, here goes nothing. _Standing up augmented the discomfort in his stomach. He did his best to ignore it as he made his way towards the pile of backpacks. Some of them were oddly shaped and bulky, while others appeared to be virtually empty. Riley closed his eyes and blindly chose the bag his hand first made contact with. _Ladies and gentlemen, this week's winning lottery numbers are…_yeah, right. Some lottery. The guards opened the exit for Riley – _gee, service with a smile –_ who took off at a bit of a run. This classroom was at the end of the hallway, so he had no choice but to turn left like everyone else. This hall was lined with doors, probably leading into other classrooms, but guards were standing in front of each one. Riley caught sight of the exit, two large doors at the end of the hall. The one on the right was slightly ajar.

Riley unzipped his backpack. He gripped a hard, thin object and pulled it out. It was about 7 centimeters wide and 15 centimeters long. It appeared to be some sort of old-school smartphone, were those called iPhones? It responded to Riley's touch and dimly lit up. The screen read "WELCOME TO YOUR BATTLE EXPERIMENT GUIDE MAP...initializing..." Perfect. Nothing was more important to Riley right now than getting his bearings.

To Riley's relief, this map was incredibly detailed. You could switch between terrain, satellite and street views, just like on a GPS! The individual "zones" were clearly marked, and Riley could see his exact location (a purple circle in the center of the screen). The exit was facing north east, the school was directly on the main highway (marked CA-342). Although the forest in the area appeared to be very dense, there were several homes scattered along winding side-streets. On the south end of the school, away from the exit, there was an athletic field. After crossing the athletic field, the mountain sloped down slightly into another blanket of forest and residences. The main town appeared to be about 800 meters northwest of Riley's current location. He didn't take time to observe the details, his time was running out.

Riley took off towards the doors. As he opened them, the smell of pine immediately overtook all of his other senses. It was incredibly pleasant, and Riley couldn't help but let out a sigh. "Ah…" The fresh mountain air helped alleviate some of his nausea. He caught sight of a home across the highway. He couldn't see the details in the dark, and it was settled snugly in between a cluster of trees. Riley checked his watch. He had five minutes. He quickly surveyed the area (there probably wasn't anybody here, anyway). _Alright, the coast is clear. _He noticed his thoughts still felt pretty foggy.

Riley dashed across the two-lane highway. He stopped and the yard and stared at the cabin for a moment. It had a very sharp roof, the touched all the way to the ground. The wood was painted a chocolate-brown. There was an old, slightly-beat up, light-blue pickup truck in the driveway. None of the windows on the house had been broken. _Perhaps…_Riley snuck over to the door and turned the handle. …! It was open! (Riley didn't know this, but this was the kind of town where most people didn't bother to lock their doors – so to him it felt like a miracle.) The inside of the house was dark, and Riley could make out the shapes of furniture. This was definitely the living room. He used his GPS as a dim flashlight to guide his way to the kitchen. It was a very quaint kitchen. Nicely decorated, it looked like it probably belonged to an older couple; or possibly an older woman, who spent her mornings feeding the squirrels and greeting the school children across the way, and her evenings knitting by the fire in the living room. That was irrelevant, though. What mattered was…

The cupboards. Riley opened a long, narrow door that appeared to be the pantry. At this moment it was obvious someone had probably been here. In contrast to the clean and orderly kitchen, the inside of this pantry was a mess. Several packages had been torn open, and there were several crumbs scattered about. Wrappers had been left behind, and a few packages were untouched. Riley frowned. Most of the items left behind were expired. He did, however, manage to rummage up a jar of apple butter, and a box of graham crackers. It was at least a start.

_Okay…now the fridge, then it's time to scram._ Even though Riley felt far from hungry, he figured it was best to plan ahead. He saw the refrigerator (it seemed to have quite the collection of magnets and photographs on it) and crept over to it. As he remembered the electricity had probably been off for quite some time, he felt something at his feet. It felt like a bag of garbage, or maybe a cushion from one of the couches. Perhaps his mind had made him hope it was that.

At his feet, a human body was blending into a pool of crimson-red liquid. It was Evelyn Bordeaux (Female Student No. 3). She was lying face down, but Riley could tell it was her. She was a bit on the heavy side, and always wore the same neon-green ribbon in her dirty blond hair. Her back had three large, gaping tears in it. This was the source of the red-substance that was now staining Riley's sneakers.  
"Um…" He held back the urge to vomit. Without bothering to take caution, he ran out of the house. He tripped over something, but quickly bothered to get out without checking what – or who – it was. Someone had killed the kind girl who played the clarinet in the school band. She had never harmed anyone…but someone had harmed her! Riley shook his head. He began sprinting up the highway going north. His heart was pounding, his mind was spinning. As he disappeared into the woods along the edge of the CA-342, he felt cold tears running down the side of his face. 

_41 Students Remaining_


End file.
